Google looks to join car sharing market

Internet giant Google is planning on launching a ridesharing program in San Francisco, home of ride sharing giants Uber and Lyft, according to media reports.

Google has been piloting a ridesharing program around its headquarters, enabling workers at specific firms to use ‘Waze’ to offer carpooling.

Waze, which Google acquired in 2013, is a community-based traffic and navigation app.

Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting Google plans to open up the program, and launch the service throughout the San Francisco area.

Whereas companies such as Uber operate as a form of on-demand taxi service, Waze will look to connect riders with drivers already heading in the same direction, as a form of carpooling. In order to encourage this, the current pilot program charges considerably less than Uber, with Google not taking a fee. Instead, Google views the small fee (reported at 54 cents per mile) as payment for fuel.

This marks the latest step in the two companies stepping on each other’s toes. Earlier in August, Uber partnered with Volvo to launch a fleet of autonomous cars in Pittsburgh, USA, an area Google has long been present in.

Since then, David Drummond, a long term executive at Google’s parent company Alphabet, has resigned from his role on Uber’s board of directors.

Speaking to Business Insider, Drummond pointed to an increasing overlap between the two companies as the reason for his decision to step down.